Digital Television Transition Increased Federal Planning And Risk Management Could Further Facilitate The Dtv Transition

and Public Safety Act of 2005requires all full-power televisionstations to cease analogbroadcasting by February 17, 2009.Following this digital televisiontransition, consumers who receiveover-the-air television signals onanalog sets will need to take actionto be able to view digitalbroadcasts. The act also requiresthe National Telecommunicationsand Information Administration(NTIA) to create a program thatsubsidizes consumers' purchases ofdigital-to-analog converter boxes.This requested report examinesprogress made (1) by federalentities and others in facilitatingthe transition, (2) in educatingconsumers on the transition, and(3) in implementing the converterbox subsidy program. GAOreviewed legal, agency, andindustry documents; interviewedpublic, private, and otherstakeholders; and convened anexpert panel focused on consumeroutreach.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires all full-power TV stations in the U.S. to cease analog broadcasting after Feb. 17, 2009, known as the digital television (DTV) transition. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for implementing a subsidy program to provide households with up to two $40 coupons toward the purchase of converter boxes. This report examines: (1) what consumer education efforts have been undertaken by private and fed. stakeholders; and (2) how effective NTIA has been in implementing the converter box subsidy program, and to what extent consumers are participating in the program. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires all full-power TV stations in the U.S. to cease analog broadcasting by Feb. 17, 2009, known as the digital television (DTV) transition. Prior to this date, the TV broadcast industry must take a series of actions to ensure that over-the-air programming will continue to be available once the transition is complete. For ex., broadcast stations must obtain, install, and test the necessary equipment needed to finalize their digital facilities. This report examines: (1) the status of broadcast stations in transitioning to digital; (2) the extent to which broadcast stations are encountering issues; and (3) the actions the FCC has taken to guide broadcasters in the digital transition. Charts and tables.

Paid preparers (PP) prepare 60% of all tax returns filed, and their actions affect the IRS¿s ability to administer tax laws. A previous report found that some PP made significant errors in preparing tax returns and proposed stricter regulation of preparers. IRS is implementing new requirements for PP that it believes will increase tax compliance, which will reduce the gross tax gap between taxes owed and taxes paid, last estimated at $345 billion for 2001. This report: (1) describe IRS¿s plans for implementing and ensuring PP compliance with the requirements; (2) assesses IRS¿s resource estimates for the requirements; and (3) assesses IRS¿s plans to use the requirements to improve taxpayer compliance and evaluate their effect. A print on demand report.